Trinity Copeland gets 25-to-life for killing her dad

Trinity Copeland delivers a statement prior to being sentenced to 25 years to life for the July 2012 murder of her father, Harland Copeland, by Judge Andrew Ceresia (not shown) at Rensselaer County Court in Troy, N.Y., on Thursday, June 12, 2014.
Mike McMahon - The Record

TROY >> Trinity Copeland, who was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of her father, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison by Judge Andrew Ceresia Thursday morning.

Copeland, 19, spoke for several minutes during her sentencing.

“I’m so sorry for what I did,” said Copeland to her family. “I know what I did was so unforgivable, but I just feel that no one understands what happened. This is just so hard to go through, and at the end of the day, everybody loses, because now my father’s gone, and I’m the one facing a lot of time.”

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Felicia Copeland, aunt of the defendant and older sister of the victim, interrupted her niece’s speech, saying, “What about Harland?”

Copeland said she believed her father was a severe alcoholic and was probably depressed.

“I’m not saying what my aunt said was wrong, ‘what about my father,’ but what about me?” said Copeland. “I’m a victim too. I’m losing my life too.”

Defense attorney Michael Feit read lines from a letter written by a correctional facility employee who worked with Copeland, including that she was going to church regularly, “has a smile that can melt your heart,” that she never smoke, drank or did drugs and was a prolific reader, good student, and peacemaker among other inmates.

Joe Exley, brother-in-law of Harland Copeland, read statements on behalf of his family, some who said they’d forgiven the woman.

Ceresia said that while he was mindful of the defendant’s young age, lack of criminal history, and the remorse she expressed in her statement, he felt that the defendant has not accepted responsibility for her actions.

He said he also considered the senseless and violent nature of the crime.

“How she could do this is beyond me,” said Felicia Copeland. “I honestly don’t believe her story at all.”

The defendant shot her father in the head during the early morning hours of July 13, 2012.

During her testimony, Copeland not only told the jury that her father told her to kill him, but also said he would have killed her if she didn’t kill him. She said she placed the blame on an unknown assailant to cover it up.

Rensselaer County Assistant District Attorney Shane Hug prosecuted the case.